Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Doha: Substitute Ismail Mohamad scored seven minutes from time to take 10-man Lekhwiya into the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League on Tuesday, coming off the bench to secure a 2-2 draw on the night with Al Sadd that sealed a 4-3 aggregate win for the Qatar Stars League champions.
Michael Laudrup’s side led 2-1 after the first leg but the game looked to be heading for extra time after goals from Muriqui and Ali Asadalla saw Al Sadd level the aggregate score after Youssef Msakni had put Lekhwiya further in front before Ahmed Yasser’s 34th minute sending off.
But Mohamad’s fine finish ensured Lekhwiya finished the Qatari season in style as the club progresses to the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League for the second time in three seasons.
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Former AFC Player of the Year Khalfan Ibrahim started for Al Sadd, replacing Brazilian striker Grafite as the former champions sought the win required to advance to the last eight.
Lekhwiya extended their advantage after just 13 minutes when Sebastian Soria raced down the right side before jinking past Abdelkarim Hassan and delivering a perfect, curling cross to the far post that took goalkeeper Saad Al Sheeb out of the equation to allow Msakni to roll the ball over the line.
Just minutes later, Lekhwiya would have gone further in front had it not been for the sharp reactions of Al Sheeb, who dropped to his right to palm away Nam Tae-hee’s goal-bound effort after Vladimir Weiss’ surge through the middle left the Al Sadd defence reeling.
Yasser’s sending off in the 34th minute for a second bookable offence gave Al Sadd a lifeline and the former champions grabbed it with both hands when, with nine minutes remaining in the half, Muriqui clipped the ball through the wall and into the right corner of Amine Lecomte’s goal.
The goal ensured a lively start to the second as Al Sadd sought the goal required to take the game into extra-time.
Three minutes before the hour mark, Hassan Al Haydos went close, striking the crossbar with his free kick from just outside the penalty area and, just six minutes later, the scores were level.
Nadir Belhadj’s one-two with Lee Jung-soo opened up the Lekhwiya defence and the full back’s cut back was buried into the bottom corner thanks to Asadalla’s first-time finish.
But, with just seven minutes remaining, Lekhwiya put themselves back in front on aggregate when Khaled Muftah sprinted down the left before feeding the ball into Karim Boudiaf and his pass to Mohamad (pictured) was slotted home to send his side into the last eight.
Photo: WSG